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FedEx Abre Puertas (FedEx Opens Doors)

October 30, 2008

In my house, living with two parents who both had their Masters and a mom who was president of the school board, college was clearly in my future. However, we weren’t always sure if we could afford it. In the end, it was the generosity of the community that allowed me to begin college in the fall of ‘94 with a handful of scholarships.

For many today, college is simply not an option. Either due to finances or a lack of knowledge about the college application process, many students, particularly minorities, don’t enroll in higher education. While many go on to successful careers, studies show that a college education can double one’s standard of living and provide the economy with the brain power it needs to innovate and grow.

In my role at FedEx, I have the privilege of working with a number of scholarship programs that support students’ efforts to attend college, many for the first time. Thanks to FedEx, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded five scholarships.

Each year for the past three years to deserving students around the U.S. Today, these 15 students can be found at MIT, Stanford, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, the University of Miami, to name a few. Better yet, the average GPA of these scholars is 3.85 and 30% are first-generation college students.

FedEx also supports the HSF’s Town Hall meetings, a bilingual, multi-media session providing students and their families with information about the value and affordability of a college education. At a recent meeting in Dallas, Irene Solis, an Account Executive and member of the FedEx Hispanic Network, welcomed the participants. “I felt a great sense of pride when the representative from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund made the announcement to the crowd that everything for the meeting was provided by FedEx,” shared Irene. “FedEx is investing in the future and I believe these kids see a direct correlation between FedEx and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund thanks to Town Hall meetings such as this.”

I am grateful to work at a corporation that gives back to students like those who made college possible for me. As we say at many of our events, “FedEx Abre Puertas”, meaning FedEx opens doors.